A.M. Disher
A.M. Disher is best known for the visceral quality of their sculptures. Two principal themes in their work are mental health and queer identity. Through their work, they create self-portraits that explore what it means to attempt to heal in a society that often does not allow for openly living one’s truth as a mentally ill, neurodivergent, and gender non-conforming person. A.M. graduated in 2015 with a BFA in Sculpture and Studio for Interrelated Media from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. They currently live and work in Boston, MA.
Q&A
When did art become a pursuit? Art has been a pursuit since I could put a word to it. I have never had another focus or passion. My drive to make art is what propels me through the world and keeps me trudging forward.
Are you self-taught or formally educated in visual art? I am experimentally taught through progI am formally educated. I have a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design in Sculpture and Studio for Interrelated Media.
(oil on wood, repurposed chair, digitally altered and reprinted toile fabric)
What medium do you currently work in and how did you choose this medium? I predominantly work in sculpture but I also work in a digital format with a focus on digital collage. On a basic level, I chose sculpture because I am a very tactile person and I love getting messy. I also enjoy learning new skills and problem-solving, so working with found objects and new materials regularly makes me feel like I am keeping my brain engaged. When I don’t have access to my studio, I turn to digital media because it is accessible. I studied graphic design in my vocational high school and wanted to be a digital illustrator for some time before I discovered sculpture as my first love.
How do you choose your subject matter? Is there a reoccurring theme that carries throughout your work? The recurring theme in my work is mental health, I am coming at this from the perspective of “radical mental health” which is essentially a position of anti-oppressive understanding that much of the way our society is structured exacerbates and enhances mental illness. My current series that explores this theme is titled “An Anatomy of Melancholy” I’ve chosen this subject matter because it is something that I can speak personally to as someone who is neuro-divergent and mentally ill. I use art-making as therapy and always have, it makes sense to me that my concept and motivation would bleed into one another. Another theme that is inherent in my work as they are self-portraits, is transgender identity and the act of resisting binary gender.
What living artists are you inspired by? Tomashi Jackson, Mona Hatoum, Allison Sommers, Rae Klein, Patricia Piccinini, Kara walker, Doris Salcedo, Cassils, Kehinde Wiley, and Rosie Ranauro to name a few!
Sculpture ( oil and enamel on wood, metal piping and spout, party streamers)
Do you own any art by other artists? Is so, what artists? Yes, they are some of my most prized possessions! I have several gorgeous mixed media photographic pieces by Jamieson Edson, two beautifully haunting photographs by Krystle Brown, a photograph by Sofia Perez, a tiny painting by Allison Sommers, and a risograph by the incredible printmaker, David Ryan. I am a framer and am currently in the process of giving them all their own custom preservative homes.
See more from A.M.
Website: amdisher.com
Instagram: @amdisher